Recently, the increase in the number of influenza A cases in the province is putting great pressure on the health system and the pharmaceutical market. At many medical facilities, the number of patients coming to see a doctor due to symptoms of high fever, dry cough, headache, and fatigue tends to increase sharply. At the same time, the demand for flu treatment drugs, especially the antiviral drug Tamiflu, has increased dramatically, causing many pharmacies to fall into a state of shortage of goods.
After discovering that her daughter tested positive for influenza A, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoai (Tran Phu ward) quickly went to drug stores along Quang Trung and Nguyen Cong Tru streets to buy the special medicine Tamiflu. However, she had to go to the 4th drug store to get the medicine.
“When I asked to buy Tamiflu, all the pharmacies shook their heads because they were out of stock. Luckily, the fourth facility still had it, but they said it was a domestic medicine and no longer had any foreign medicine. I had no choice but to buy 5 pills for my child,” said Ms. Hoai.
According to records from private pharmacies, in the past 2-3 weeks, the number of people coming to buy medicine to treat influenza A has increased 4-5 times. Not only fever reducers, pain relievers, vitamins, cough syrups... are consumed strongly, but antiviral drugs have become the most requested items.
According to the staff of Long Chau Pharmacy (on Xuan Dieu Street, Thanh Sen Ward), for nearly a week now, the antiviral drug Tamiflu has been out of stock for sale to people due to limited supply. This is also the response of many pharmaceutical businesses on streets such as Hai Thuong Lan Ong, Tran Phu, Xuan Dieu, Quang Trung... Some pharmacies still have a small quantity of Tamiflu but it is domestically produced, while the imported type is almost out of stock.
The reason for the drug shortage is believed to be due to the rapid increase in the number of influenza A cases in a short period of time, while the supply has not been able to meet the demand. In addition, people's anxiety has caused many people to arbitrarily seek out special drugs for prevention or use them without a prescription.
Dr. Nguyen Ba Trong - Head of the Examination Department, Provincial General Hospital emphasized: Antiviral drugs such as Tamiflu are prescription drugs, under the direction of a doctor. Arbitrary use or incorrect dosage not only causes side effects but also increases the risk of drug resistance, which can lead to serious consequences in flu treatment in the following years. For cases with severe symptoms such as: high fever that does not go down, severe headache, severe cough, difficulty breathing or in high-risk groups (children, the elderly, pregnant women, people with underlying diseases) need to go to a medical facility for testing, accurate diagnosis and use of medication according to instructions.
People should also not hoard drugs, because this not only causes shortages in the market but also risks using the wrong drugs, expired drugs or misused drugs. Instead, people should proactively take disease prevention measures such as: wearing masks when going to crowded places, maintaining respiratory hygiene, washing hands regularly, cleaning the living environment, improving nutrition and getting enough sleep. In particular, proactively getting vaccinated against seasonal flu every year is an important solution to help reduce the risk of disease and reduce the severity when infected.
Tamiflu contains the active ingredient Oseltamivir, which is only effective if used correctly. It should only be started within the first 48 hours of flu symptoms and only for patients who have been accurately diagnosed with influenza A or B, especially those at high risk. After that time, the drug is almost no longer effective and can even cause serious side effects such as nausea, headaches and liver damage.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), influenza viruses have the potential to develop drug resistance if drugs are used inappropriately. A study showed that in areas with major flu outbreaks, the rate of resistance to the active ingredient Oseltamivir increased from less than 1% to 18% in just a few years. This is a warning about the need to use drugs appropriately, ensure the correct dosage and only when prescribed by a doctor.
Source: https://baohatinh.vn/tu-y-mua-tamiflu-chua-cum-a-canh-bao-nguy-co-lam-dung-thuoc-khang-virus-post300071.html
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